New Zealand

Tags

Review: Samsung Galaxy Note II

It’s almost the size of a tablet, but it has the functions of a phone and what is a mix of the two? A ‘phablet.’

You might not like the word but there is really no other way to quite describe a Samsung Galaxy Note II.

Measuring at 151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4 mm (HxWxD) matched with a 5.5” screen and weighing in at 183 grams, it is about 10% larger than the Galaxy SIII but only marginally larger than it’s predecessor the Galaxy Note.

The main selling point of this device is the “S-Pen” which works specially alongside the phone as it notices when the pen is removed and automatically opens to the note maker.

The S-Pen also has a small button on the side, allowing you to grab items in certain applications, and for those who don’t consider themselves very creative the S-Pen does encourage you to use the various applications (e.g. Paper Artist) in a different way.

With a 1.6Ghz Quad-core and Android OS Jellybean also works exceptionally well with no noticeable lagging or freezing, along with additional features like multi-screen, which works even better with the S-Pen.

Pros:

Impressive battery life considering size of the screen and processor.

S-Pen is an excellent accessory tool, device even notifies the user when the pen is detached and unused.

Lightweight considering the dimensions.

Super AMOLED screen works better in varying light situations.

Android Jelly Bean works exceptionally well especially with the S-Pen features as well.

Cons:

The sleek design teamed up with the size may mean it’s slippery and easy to drop for some people.

There is a few additional features to even top the Galaxy SIII which means it has a rather steep learning curve. There is a Samsung App which can be downloaded to help as well.

If you don’t mind having a phone which is almost a tablet, love to take notes or the creative person who likes the doodle in the spare time, than the Note II is the phone for you.

The impressive battery life is great for on the go and the high drain devices.